S2 Ep6: Cecilia's Victory in Argentina

Judge Maria Alejandra Mauricio ruled that Cecilia, a lonely chimpanzee, should be recognised in law because animals—especially great apes—are sentient beings with social, emotional, and cognitive lives.  Relying also on Argentina’s 1994 constitutional protections for collective goods and cultural patrimony, the judge found that Cecilia’s well-being is part of what courts must protect, opening the door to legal rights for animals and urging society to be grateful for the chance to grow more humane. As a result of the decision, Cecilia was moved in 2018 to the Great Ape Project Sanctuary in Brazil, where she lives today with a mate named Rakker.   Animal Rights Tour is written by Sean Butler, hosted by Carly McCann, and fact-checked by Paulina Siemieniec.  This podcast is produced by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, an academic centre of competence dedicated to the study of fundamental rights for non-human animals and based in Cambridge, UK. Learn more about the Centre at animalrightslaw.org.